


dead roses and white lilies

by rippedjuns



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Because Jisoo’s a Baby Boy, But who isn’t soft for Shua, Enemies to Lovers, He’s Secretly a Softie, Innocent!Shua, M/M, Vampire Coven - Freeform, Vampire!Cheol, and a Sweetie Pie, church boy, technically, vampire slayer
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2020-10-26 07:43:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20738684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rippedjuns/pseuds/rippedjuns
Summary: white lilies are pure, innocent, delicatedead roses are sinister, broken, taintedthey say the two should never be mixedin fear of the purity becoming stainedbut can't every flower be restoredwith a little love and tender care?or where jisoo shouldn't be drawn to himyet he still takes a step closer





	1. i'll make you into a person you've never imagined being

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he's as sweet as sugar  
as pure as day  
but with this task  
his innocence shall lay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is my first post in a while so uhh,,,, hi?  
this might be slow updates only because sixth form is being a pain in the a$$, but I should keep myself motivated now the first chapter is up  
i hope you enjoy this! i've wanted to write a pure cheolsoo chaptered fic for a while now, and my child is now born
> 
> (also i didn't beta this... but if you're a long-term reader you kind of expect this from me lmao)
> 
> chapter title from get it by pristin v

people always associated jisoo with white lilies.

they symbolized innocence, chastity, virtue; the ideal traits every christian parent pushed upon their child from the minute of their birth. for jisoo, they seemed to work, the young boy always dressing in clothes the colour of snow and dancing about with no bad word glossing his lips. most parents aspired to raise their child to be almost a clone of jisoo, the cleanliness and kindness in his personality making his ticket to heaven practically unconditional. he was the dream child of god in their church, and for that, he was praised and loved by every member that stepped through their doors.

although, anything white could be stained at some point. that was the idea that worried his parents the most.

they restricted his activities to only the house, the church, and the library - fairly safe and secure places where jisoo could be protected - and forced him to only associate with the other church children in the village (who weren’t the most interesting people on the planet, if he was being honest). 

they convinced him that this was for his safety, that he needed to stay away from those who could harm him for the sake of god’s view on him. they said that one wrong move could change whether his key to heaven would be locked away for the rest of eternity - and as a child, that scared him, because that was all he knew. 

but he was older now, not just the church’s baby. he wished he could convince them to let him live freely under god’s view; but to them, he was still their white lily. something to be withheld, rather than something to be shared. 

“joshua, the priest requests to have a word with you.” his mother called for him as he was about to walk out of the church, the library calling his name in the distance; the boy unfortunately was forced to let it scream in the background for a little while longer.

he looked over to the front of the church, where their priest stood behind his alter and smiled at them with a fake softness that jisoo couldn’t properly identify. yet, he still strode forward towards the man in robes, bowing to the altar under his parents’ gaze before shaking hands with the priest. 

“good evening, joshua! did you enjoy the mass today?” he smiled, locking his hands together in front of his stomach. jisoo tried to avoid his gaze as he let his expression soften. the young boy wasn’t usually one for small talk, but it was the last thought on his mind to be disrespectful to someone as high as the priest.

“i did, father, as always.” he responded with an airy tone, playing with the flared cuffs on his sleeves. the priest’s attention seemed to drift into the background as he continued to talk, however, but jisoo didn’t want to seem rude by pausing mid-conversation. “the passage that was read for the second reading was actually one of my favourites, with jesus sharing his love for everyone by feeding all of the families with only one fish and one loaf of bread, so it’s easy to say that i enjoyed this mass more than others.”

the priest still stared over jisoo’s shoulder, squinting his eyes as he watched every person walk out of the church, chatting to each other about their enlightenment from the session with keen smiles blessing their faces. his mother had turned around too, and jisoo partially wondered what was causing the adults such commotion, and was inclined to turn around and watch with them. but, before he could move his head, a door closed, and the priest looked down upon him again.

“joshua, you are one of the most dedicated youths to this church in the village. i can’t recall any time you’ve missed a mass, and you’ve participated in the upbringing of children in the eyes of god. you truly are a blessing to the church and to god himself.” he began, each compliment making jisoo blush a little more each time. “i value every minute you’re inside this sacred building, and for that, i would like to thank you.”

“it’s my pleasure, father. i feel welcomed here, and where i feel welcome i shall call a second home.” jisoo responded softly, close to grinning as he wondered what the pastor was going to announce to him. maybe it was an offer to be an altar boy? jisoo had heard about children like that, devoting their time to holding the mass and making the churchgoers smile. he had always wanted to play the hymns for the audience, leading their happiness with each note of the song, and it would be a dream to recite his most prized passages, the ones that had shaped his character more than his parents. 

“i’m glad to hear that, joshua. you’re always welcome in god’s arms.” the priest said, his smile widening slightly. “because of that, i had an idea to help you become more involved in the church and the events of mass. how would you like to become the church’s deacon?”

jisoo’s eyes lightened when he heard the offer from the priest, and he had to stop himself from bouncing. he had heard about deacons from storybooks and from rumours across villages, people say that they’re highly respected and well loved by the parish community, and that they are only a step below priesthood. he never thought that he would have the ability or skill to take upon such a rule, seeing as there were other men and women in the church who were more fitting for the role in his eyes. 

“really? you’d want me to be the deacon?” he asked with delight, his eyes sparkling at the priest, who seemed pleased with the young boy’s reaction.

“yes, it would be an honour, joshua. but, there is a task that i would like to ask you to fulfill first.” 

jisoo tilted his head like a confused kitten, unsure as to what the priest wanted him to do and why he was to do so. “like an initiation?”

“exactly, to prove your worth to god and the parish.” he answered, folding his arms and clearing his throat. “joshua, do you know about the vampire that lives on top of the western hill?” 

jisoo nodded immediately after the priest had finished his sentence. it was a stupid question, there wasn’t a single soul who didn’t know about the count; the man who’s name could send shivers down even the strongest of men’s spines. jisoo knew that the count was feared by all, everyone scared that he would steal villagers from their families to become his victims. that was why no one left their houses after dusk, it wasn’t worth the risk of losing all of the blood in your body for the sake of some vampire’s hunger cravings. children were told the stories of the unfortunates from a young age, in order to drill the dangers into their gullible minds, which is why no child could be seen out in the streets after five’o clock. it was also why jisoo lacked many friends in his small village.

“well, to prove your devotion to god, you must sneak into the castle and stab the count in the heart.”

the boy’s breath staggered when he heard the priest speak, and he couldn’t tell whether he was being completely serious or not. 

“y–you want _ me _ to kill the vampire?”

“yes, he is a threat to our village, and doing so would make you not only a village hero but also a heroic saint in the eyes of god.” he said sternly, his syntax clear as day. jisoo couldn’t believe the priest was being serious about such an act in such a sacred area. 

“but didn’t god always say that murder was a sin? surely he would hate me for killing someone..” jisoo replied, tugging on his sleeve again. he diverted his eyes away from the priest, trying to digest the content he had been fed, but his mother tapped his shoulder and forced his gaze back up again. 

“the vampire is a reckless monster and a child of hell, and any inconsiderate descendant of satan becomes an exception to this rule.” the priest counteracted his point, spitting at the very thought of the creature. “so, will you accept the task, joshua?”

jisoo stood and bit his lip, gripping tightly onto the sleeves of his shirt. he never dreamed of even hurting someone in his lifetime, let alone killing them. the dread of the blood staining his fingertips would probably haunt him for the rest of eternity, even if he supposedly went to heaven. all he truly wanted to do was read books and live life peacefully under god’s free will, yet now it was becoming contradictory, forcing him down a road he never would’ve dared to follow. if god really wanted him to kill, it would be his obligation to follow the rules; anything to lead the life he was destined to lead from birth. if he had to kill to find heaven, then he’ll have to complete the hellish question, whether he was opposed to the idea or not. 

“...yes, father.”

the priest sprung up with instant delight once jisoo had responded positively, as if a light inside of him had suddenly flickered on. he grinned, whilst jisoo bore a subtle smile as he tried to absorb the heavy burden he had just signed to carry. his mother seemed equally as pleased, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing his temple. he softened up a little when he felt his mother’s kiss.

turning around quickly, the priest went behind the altar and rushed to crouch and search for something. jisoo tried to peak over the top, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was desperately searching for, but his mother’s grip on his waist restrained him from finding out the truth. the priest seemed eager to find the item, cacophonous clashes of glass and metal being rummaged through filling up the entirety of the church hall. it almost seemed like this was the moment he was waiting for, the plea of a tribute for such a dangerous quest finally being listened to by god. it somewhat made jisoo’s stomach hurl from the weight being pushed onto his shoulders.

the priest let out a joyous sigh as he discovered what he was looking for, and jisoo felt the air around him releasing the previous tension through the few open windows. he jumped up, his hands behind his back, and walked up to the young boy slowly with a smile on his face. a smile that didn’t leave jisoo feeling comfortable at all. nothing like the smile the librarian would give him as he walked into the world of books, and nothing like the smile his mother would give him after learning a section of the bible from memory. it seemed … inconspicuous.

“in order to kill the vampire, you must use a silver dagger. it stops the vampire from healing itself, and therefore makes defeating him an easier task for oneself.” he spoke nonchalantly, revealing a sparkling shard of metal from behind his back. 

the weapon sat calmly against his palms, glaring back at him as he looked into the mirrored metal in front of him. the handle was delicately carved into, different shapes and swirls giving the dagger a calm character despite its intention. the boy moved his hand out to touch it, like the princess from the cursed tale, and instantly pulled away when the sharp point graced his fingertip. it was an easy killer, all it would need was one stab to have someone paralysed for eternity. jisoo didn’t feel worthy of possessing such a dangerous item, yet the priest still pushed it into his hands feverishly. 

it came alongside a metal casing, disguising the treacherous danger that would evidently occur once the mystery was uncovered, dressed in intricate silver symbols of serpents and crossings, which could only remind jisoo of the story of genesis - which led the boy to pray that his fate didn’t follow the same path as eve’s. the scabbard alone felt too expensive, too exquisite, to be held in the village boy’s hands, the delicate metal seeming to belong to a king rather than a citizen. the heavy weight didn’t only distinguish the price, but it reminded jisoo of the heavy weight he would be carrying on his shoulders, knowing that murder was so wrong yet was deemed so right by his elders. 

the dagger itself could be considered a piece of fine art rather than a weapon of destruction, the silver being clean and sparkly enough for jisoo to see every drop of sweat on his forehead through it. the black and silver decor was a dark contrast to the meticulous ruby at the head of the handle, crowning the dagger as if it was a royal sword. it carried the power and confidence that jisoo lacked at such a time, its presence alone acting as a magical force of protection for its wielder. jisoo stood silently for a minute as he admired the possession in his hands, trying to not be the first to draw blood with the dagger’s precise point.

“its a beauty, is it not?” the priest spoke up, jisoo unable to look up as he continued to be in awe at the craftsmanship. “it was specially designed for the church in case of emergencies, and now it’s yours to keep, jisoo.”

the boy looked up, sliding the scabbard on the sword as he hugged it close to his chest. “m-mine? i-i still don’t completely understand…”

jisoo’s mother patted him on the back and smiled, “don’t you see, jisoo? the whole church - no, the whole _ village _ \- has faith in you to save us from the count in the castle. who knows when he could come down and devour the entirety of the village. you’re our protector, son.”

“after you kill the vampire, you’ll be that of a saint - not only to the village, but to god himself.” the priest smiled, hitting jisoo home with the boy’s dedication to his faith. “you don’t want to disappoint god, do you?”

“...no, father.” he said defeatedly, giving into the task completely if it meant god would be satisfied with his doing. “i’ll go to the castle tomorrow…”

“that’s my boy!” the priest responded with a wide smile, patting his head like he was a puppy learning his first trick. “you’ve made the right choice, jisoo; there’s no doubt about it.”

but even when jisoo was walking home, the dagger weighing down his body and causing his arms to slightly ache, and as he looked up to the stars where god was looking down on him and judging his decisions, jisoo still doubted his choice.

it was too late though; he had already made his mark, and it wouldn’t be too long until blood was drawn from it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆ thank you for reading! ☆


	2. what do you want from me? why won’t you run from me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> our protagonist is trapped  
or so it may sound  
but there’s a glimmer of hope  
in the shape of a count

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for my incredibly slow updates :””” i’ve finally finished for the half term so i have more time to write (hopefully lmao)  
i honestly have no clue who what is going to happen in this fic but fuck it
> 
> title from bury a friend by billie eilish

jisoo tried to find hope in dreary nights, where the gloom and fog would wrap around his body loosely and cool his skin, and the slight spill of rain would place a smile across his cheeks and soothe his mind as he listened to the subtle splashes of the raindrops. he would try and read a few more book chapters, curled up by the windowsill with the rain painting the glass beside him; or he would skip about in the puddles of rain - in much despite to his mother, who would ridicule him and talk of how he’ll catch a cold - and would hum a certain tune stuck in his head from that day. he was known for finding light in the greyest of areas, and that was a reason why everyone thought so fondly of him in the village.

yet, when he found himself at the top of the hill, faced with the chateau in front of his frail body, the rain seemed more intimidating than relaxing. it flooded the muddy pathway leading up to the doorway, and every step felt like quicksand. the low-lying clouds reduced his vision and left goosebumps prickling his arms and legs. the lack of lighting around the castle failed to serve jisoo any more help, and caused him to feel ultimately helpless as he stared up at the archaic house. 

each pinnacle that pierced out of the building was sharp and pristine, the stone holding it together slowly crumbling away over time. the flying buttresses pushed onto the main sector of the castle as it held the towers and the vault together, each string of stone carved into by the unfortunate weather and the passing of time. the stained glass windows seemed like a kaleidoscopic illusion from where he stood on the doorstep, yet he could spot the rainbow sparkles from the moonlight painting a story he would probably never be told during his short-lived stay. every brick laid to create the castle seemed older than jisoo’s grandparents, the process of building such an extravagant building probably taking a lifetime in itself. 

in his mind, a small voice told him to run back to where his safety was guaranteed; what was the point of risking his life for the sake of a simple title? he could be at home, drinking some warm milk by the crackling fire and finishing his fairy tale book. but instead, he chose to listen to his elders and follow through with this plan for the sake of his devotion to his faith. jisoo didn’t want to dwell on the idea of them exploiting his dedication for their own gain, although jisoo knew it was incredibly cruel of them deep in his heart. who knows what’s behind those wooden double doors? is this vampire really the monster he’s painted to be? 

jisoo just wanted to get back home at this point; so, after combing his soaked hair out of his face, and grasping the dagger which sat under his waistband, the boy took a short few steps up the cobblestone staircase, brushing his hand against the concrete banister. the wooden door was slightly ajar already, to jisoo’s surprise, so he gently pulled the copper handle a little more and slid through the small gap in the door, leaving it open behind him.

the inside of the chateau was even grander that its exterior - which the boy thought was impossible to achieve. a red carpet was laid down in front of him, clean of any footprints or mud marks, and when he looked closer, jisoo noticed the woolen strands were laced with gold, making jisoo feel incredibly guilty with his muddy shoes from trekking. candelabras were dotted on every shelf, also formed of gold, and gave the room some light in the dark situation jisoo was situated in. as he walked deeper into the isolated mansion. jisoo felt encapsulated by the purple walls in the corridor, all of the eyes of the paintings watching him as he trembled through the halls. 

a sound echoed through the building, which made all of the hairs on jisoo’s skin rise up to the heavens. he stopped in his tracks. wasn’t it just the count that lived here? the priest didn’t say anything about other uninvited guests. as he continued to walk again, the voices made themselves known again, both male and female by the sound of it, and jisoo clutched onto his dagger through his white shirt. he doubted that he would be able to tackle just the count himself when he accepted the task, but now knowing the possibility of more, he wished he had backed out when he could.

as he heard the voices getting louder, jisoo increased his pace, rushing down the halls in search of an open door, a sort of sign from god to help him through the petrifying mansion he had come to be trapped inside. the door was no longer in sight as he speed-walked forward, causing him to gulp as he turned down the corridors. everything was closed and too scary to open, the voices invading his train of thought. the room began to feel a lot warmer suddenly, indicating a presence in the halls, and it left jisoo with no choice but to run. 

he picked up his pace and ran as fast as his legs would carry him across the carpet. his breathing became shallow as he used it all up, the oxygen barely staying in his lungs as he sprinted ahead. he turned around to peak behind him and saw the candles being extinguished one by one, which pressured him to carry on running despite his muscles crying out in pain. he couldn’t even hear the sound of his own heartbeat from the ringing voices screaming in his ears, which he tried to cover up with his hands as he ran. it was too loud. his head started to tense up in agony as he strode forwards, his movements distorted slightly from the pain.

he wanted to scream out from the torture being forced onto him, cry out for help and bang his head against the wall, but he was supposed to be stealthy and silent, so he held back his shouts and carried on running forward. but then, he spotted an open door. and the lights went out entirely. 

jisoo gulped, trying to spot something - anything - in the dark abyss enclosing him. the voices seemed to drown out with the light luckily, and so jisoo slowly walked forward, careful of his steps as he saw a spark and crackle coming from the open door. his footsteps were careful and gentle, each step forward causing one of the crooked floorboards under the carpet to deeply groan beneath his feet. he tried to take it slowly, tip-toeing on the wool as he edged closer to the open door, yet the loud creaks still made themselves loud and clear. jisoo’s heart continued to pound against his rib age as he drew nearer to the door. he held his breath.

peeking through the door well, jisoo felt slight relief when he saw an open fire sitting peacefully in the fireplace, a small breeze of warmth finally hitting his goosebump infected skin. the room felt incredibly large from the lack of furniture accessorizing the extravagant living room. a small velvet armchair sat facing the fire, the flames illuminating the gold freckles in the red fabric, and an arm appeared to droop over the edge. then, as jisoo gazed up, he spotted an enormous painting, completed in monochromatic scales, of a human form unrecognisable to his eyes. it was encased in a metallic onyx frame, protecting the figure from its surroundings, and its eyes stared down at him in a depreciating manner. it was only then, however, that jisoo looked down to the figure’s soft, full, crimson lips and spotted a set of white icebergs poking out from the form’s silent mouth.

“the count…” jisoo managed to whisper, before feeling his mouth being covered by an unknown force, which also threw him ferociously to the ground. 

looking up with fearful eyes, his suddenly blurred vision managed to catch a glimpse of several dark figures intensely staring at him. he felt his wrists and ankles turn numb from the pressure applied to them by the forms, making it impossible for him to thrash about and escape. how could someone have such a strong grip? jisoo knew he wasn’t the strongest in his village, but the force on his arms and legs made it feel as if he was glued to the floor permanently. 

he felt tears suddenly prick his ducts and his stomach repeated on itself continuously as his brain tried to piece together the figures dashing around in the darkness and keeping him on the ground. all he could spot, however, was flashes of hair swishing around, and piercing red eyes amongst the crackling of the distant fireplace. their hollow pupils drilled holes into his body as they stared him down, and the rapid movement of their heads caused jisoo’s vision to blur and his heart to race. 

when someone finally brought some more light to the corridor, jisoo panted as he continued to struggle under the beings’ hold. the presence of light gave faces to the floating red eyes, and jisoo could feel goosebumps mutate and multiply on his skin as a result. their skin was drained of life - pale, cold, bloodless - yet their lips were dark and stained crimson, and not to mention covered in scars and cuts and bruises. they were foaming at the mouth at the sight of jisoo’s lively body, turning feral as they hoped to catch a glimpse of jisoo’s bronzed neck underneath the white collar. the span of their hair colours ranged from a drained grey to a midnight black, somehow clean of knots on both the male and female figures. 

“oh my! he looks even better with the lights!” one of the creatures gasped into his left ear, causing jisoo to throw his head to the opposite side and squint his eyes shut.

“is the little human shy now he’s been caught?” a female voice sung with a threatening tone, still making all of jisoo’s limbs shiver despite it being quite far away.

“look at him, he’s so pure, so pretty, so... _ alive _…” another male whispered into his ear, breathing slowly onto his skin and causing all of the boy’s hairs to stand in shock. 

jisoo tried to fight back again, using all of his energy to thrash his arms as he opened his eyes and let an ocean of tears flood his cheeks. “p-please... let me go… i want to go home…” he whimpered, trying to not make eye contact with the merciless creatures.

“the poor human feels scared…” another voice spoke, jisoo’s vision becoming too blurred from his tears to see who it was. the creature combed their figures through jisoo’s hair gently before gripping onto them and pulling at his scalp harshly, causing jisoo to let out a vociferous cry of agony. 

“p-please! s-stop it please!” jisoo cried, feeling as helpless as a stray cat, his eyes wandering around and struggling to find a hopeful sign from god. “i-i’m sorry! i d-didn’t mean–!”

“_ what on earth is this cacophony all about? _”

all of their heads moved in synchronisation towards the noise echoing from the doorway, except for jisoo, who feared for his life even more and prayed for a way to get out of the restraints. an ominous set of footsteps made their way up to the crowd and drowned out jisoo’s fearful heart beat, each step causing an array of shivers to crawl down the boy’s spine. even the paintings watched as he moved towards jisoo, and eventually the boy was unable to avoid the gaze of the mysterious figure towering over him. 

the features matched up perfectly to the painting, every hue, every mark, every patch of texture was perfectly captured and replicated onto the figure’s face. there was no doubt in his mind that jisoo was in fact in contact with his target: the count. 

“he was wandering in the mansion, so we thought it would be best to hunt him down.” one of the vampires spoke, looking up and simultaneously whipping his hair into jisoo’s face. 

“i understand, jeonghan,” the count responded nonchalantly, “but it should be awfully obvious to you all by now that i prefer my guests to not look like they have had the life drained out of them. there’s enough of us like that inhabiting the mansion already.”

the vampire, now known as jeonghan, lowered his head and mutter an apology, and jisoo felt his grip loosen a little. the count looked at the other vampires sternly, before turning his gaze back to the church boy. he noticed a small glint in the count’s eye when he looked at jisoo, the boy sniffling as he tried to calm himself down.

“and you…” the count spoke again, signalling for jisoo to introduce himself. 

the boy gulped, tears still prickling at his eyes. “my name is jisoo, sir…”

“what means do you have to be entering my home without permission?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest. 

“i-i’m so sorry, sir..i got lost and it was cold outside…i thought i could seek some shelter for the night…” jisoo lied, hoping his alibi could help him escape from this freakshow of a castle. the count continued to glare down at him as he thought, and jisoo could feel his heartbeat pounding harder against his ribcage every second.

he finally spoke again, the straight line on his lips not moving. “where do you come from?”

“the village sir…”

the count nodded slowly, carefully thinking again as the crowd surrounding him stayed painfully silent. the human shivered. “then we shall give you shelter, jisoo. permanent shelter.”

jisoo’s eyes almost bulged out of his head — permanent shelter? he couldn’t tell if the response was positive or negative in his defence. he isn’t dead, but it could mean there’s more time to kill him - or for him to kill the count. he was happy he wasn’t dead, but why would a vampire want a human dancing about their castle for? 

“b-but sir, what about my hometown?” jisoo softly asked, wondering about everyone back at home - the priest, the librarian, his mother. 

the count crouched down next to jisoo and looked at him, the sparkle in his eyes seeming like a menacing lighting bolt ready to electrocute jisoo at any time. “i cannot risk letting a human out of my home and having a riot harm my coven, it would be a similar pain to me brutally slaughtering your family and everything you hold close. anyways i would prefer not to have human blood on my hands if i can help it, because if they know you’re dead then we all die with you, and i don’t think anyone here wants that to happen. do you understand, jisoo?”

“y-yes..sir…” jisoo responded, unable to look away from the count’s piercing gaze. once he had spoken, the count stood up again and clasped his hands together, his expression still emotionless. 

“good. hansol will guide you to your room. dinner will be served shortly.” the count concluded, allowing a silver haired vampire - who jisoo assumes was hansol - to pick jisoo up and wrap an arm around his shoulder. 

as they began to walk away, the other vampires scurried down the other sections of the corridor like mice, leaving only the count standing tall. his silhouette was taller than the others on the wall, and his presence left an uneasy feeling inside everyone he came across. jisoo looked around him now that the lights were on and he spotted a vase in front of his body, containing a single flower. a dead rose, symbolising sadness, brokenness, death. it seemed fitting somehow. 

hansol and jisoo were just about to escape around a corner before the count cleared his throat, causing them to turn their heads quickly, giving themselves whiplash in the process. the boy’s heart rate increased again as he looked at the count fearfully, the glisten in his eyes seeming calmer and different from before, which confused jisoo. 

“and jisoo —“ he spoke again, “please, call me seungcheol.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we have met seungcheollieeeee!! •o• i’m so excited for this guys you don’t even understand—
> 
> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> i have two twitter accounts now !! please follow me i need more moots  
@rippedjuns & @incorrectchlsoo
> 
> ☆ thank you for reading ! ☆


	3. religion’s in your lips, even if it’s a false god

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as the boy settles down  
he continues to ponder  
who is his capturer?  
and in his eye, what is that wonder?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m the world’s big dumbass :”””))) sorry for the lack of updates !! sixth form has been an utter biatch so i’ve been struggling to find time to update but i’m here now !! i hope you enjoy this chapter !
> 
> chapter title from false god by taylor swift

it had been almost three hours since seungcheol had forced jisoo up into the bedroom - _ his _ bedroom, although he refused to call it that right now - and his tears had just managed to dry on his cheeks. 

he was curled up on the bed, back facing the door as he stared through the stained glass. he could see the lights from his village far in the distance, and jisoo didn’t know if seungcheol did that on purpose as punishment or not. he tried to distract himself with the colours of the glass painting a picture that glistened around the room, but he couldn’t help but feel homesick in the pit of his stomach. as much as he hated being forced upon this task, he still managed to feel distress from missing his mother. jisoo would sell his soul for another cup of her chamomile tea, the warmth of the herb relaxing his muscles once the taste hit his tongue. alas, she had sent him on this quest, and whilst she was at home, comforted by the fire, he was fearing for his life with the vampire downstairs. 

jisoo wrapped the woollen blanket around his frail form and shivered softly, his mind still aching from everything that had thrashed in front of him. he still couldn’t accept the fact that he was living here now, or that he was now living in a vampire coven. what if seungcheol meant that he was their dinner? tears pricked at his tear ducts when he imagined the creatures feasting away at his helpless body, their desperation from earlier finally being set free like caged lions. jisoo bit his lip in fear of any small noises around him - the creaking of a floorboard, the brushing of a gust of wind on the window, the tapping of branches on the glass. 

sitting upright slowly, the boy thought it would be best to try and distract himself with some object in the desolate room to take his mind off of his depressing thoughts. one general gaze around the room gave him no hope, but when he focused his eyes, he managed to spot a small green hardback book sitting on the dressing table. it seemed quite dusty, and in some need of some tender love and care, but it’s title seemed to intrigue the boy - ‘_ the last string of hope _’. 

getting up and picking up the book, jisoo blew the dust from the cover and noticed the golden engravings spelling out the name of the book, and a young man’s face drawn in gold beneath it. jisoo took it back to the bed and wrapped himself in the blanket, reading through the blurb before choosing to read it - anything to kill his boredom. 

the tale talked of a non-human creature living in solitude in an abandoned forest, before hearing of a prince being tortured by his family and being locked away in a tall tower; and in an act of complete selflessness, which was unexpected from the creature, he tried to save the prince from the grasps of his villainous parents. jisoo didn’t manage to get far into the book, mostly because he daydreamed about the fascinating creature and the gentle prince together, trying to forget about the horrid situation he was in and place himself in a new universe. libraries and books always made him feel comforted, the warmth felt when the characters smiled seemed better than the comfiest hug to jisoo. whenever he could lose himself in a novel, everyone around him knew they wouldn’t hear from him for a good few hours, and jisoo didn’t mind that. sometimes, the fictional world was much more relaxing than the real world. 

at some point, as jisoo was reading about the creature and the prince’s encounter in the tower - which was incredibly endearing to the boy - he heard a knock at the door and made him jump. he had forgotten that he wasn’t living in his home anymore, and the realisation made him curl up fearfully in the blanket.

“come in…” he softly spoke out to the door, praying heavily that seungcheol wasn’t behind the door. he wasn’t too sure what would happen when he next faced the count.

a figure opened the door, and to his relief, it happened to be the young vampire who had brought him to his room in the first place - hansol, if he remembered correctly. his expression was blank, his eyes fairly wide open as he slowly walked in and awkwardly shut the door behind him.

“good evening, jisoo.” hansol spoke up softly, giving a small smile to the boy. jisoo could spot his fangs hiding in between his pearly teeth. “i see you’ve made yourself comfortable.”

“yes, thank you. the blanket is surprisingly comfy despite its holes and flaws.” jisoo replied with a relaxed tone, dog-earring the page as he closed his book. “it’s a much nicer room than i expected.”

“seungcheol isn’t keen on sending guests to the dungeons to stay, he says it doesn’t give off a very good impression.” hansol said with a chuckle, to which jisoo nodded in agreement. he seemed hesitant to move, unsure whether jisoo would want him further in the room. 

the boy didn’t mind about hansol, he seemed safe and unlikely to attack - in fact, he was the least vicious of the vampires he encountered earlier - so he gave hansol a small smile. “you can sit down if you want.” 

“oh no, i can’t. nayoung would get mad at me if i didn’t go back downstairs and help prepare dinner for you and seungcheol.” hansol shook his head quickly.

jisoo cocked his head to the side in confusion. “does the coven not have supper together?”

“seungcheol’s never been fond of company whilst he’s eating - or at all, for that matter. we’re all together mainly for each other’s protection, but it’s not often that we purposely all spend time together.” hansol explained, rubbing his hands together as he realised how cold the room was. “he must really be intrigued by you to ask for you to accompany him to dinner.”

jisoo chuckled softly, “i am human after all, i guess that’s what makes me an outlier in the situation.”

hansol smiled back for a moment, and the tension in the air from jisoo’s stress had settled down a little to the boy’s relief. he felt like he could breathe properly now thanks to hansol, even if the young vampire was a little hard to make conversation with. jisoo made a mental note to stay on hansol’s good side - and probably all of the coven’s good side for that matter.

“i should get going now..thank you for letting me talk to you.” hansol smiled, bowing slightly as he reached for the door handle again.

“and thank you for putting me at ease about the supper, hansol.” jisoo responded, wrapping the blanket around him a little more. 

jisoo realised when hansol left how tense he really was - why wouldn’t he be tense though? he’s living with vampires! ones who feast on human blood! - but hansol didn’t seem hostile, in fact, he seemed welcoming, friendly, kind-hearted. a little part of his heart was saying that all of the vampires were like that, and that they all were going to worry about jisoo’s safety and well-being, but he couldn’t guarantee that after the stories he’s heard from the priest - the ones of murder and slaughter and recklessness. 

maybe it was best for him to take a bath, maybe that would get rid of all of the bad energy.

stepping into the warm water, jisoo felt all of his muscles unwind from the tension as he floated in the bath. he loved to take baths at night, where he could reflect on the day that had past and on the future ahead of him. jisoo also loved to not make assumptions about people based on rumours and first impressions. his village would try to make him scared of another thing, or hate a certain species, but jisoo would never assume someone’s personality without getting to know them and see their full potential. judging someone on their appearance didn’t feel correct to him, even with seungcheol, someone who was assumed to be the most ferocious creature on the planet. 

if he was ferocious, then why didn’t seungcheol kill jisoo on sight?

the perplexing thoughts spiralled around jisoo’s mind as he sunk into the soothing flow of water, allowing his mind to run free without restrictions in the hopes of slowly reducing the stress he had currently pent up. it was all because of the count - the man he had spent several years worrying about - and his hard to read expression. jisoo couldn’t tell if seungcheol was being genuinely nice or following through a plan for murder. but, jisoo didn’t take the opportunity for warmth and some food for granted - getting this far into the castle was a blessing enough for him. maybe he could engage in more conversation with seungcheol today if his nerves permitted it, and maybe he could discover some new things that could peak his interest.

it wasn’t long after his bath that another vampire knocked on his door, a young girl with light brown hair and round eyes. she was fairly tall - stretching higher than hansol clearly - and was sported a short black dress with long, cloak-like sleeves. she gave him a small smile as she held the door open beside her, watching jisoo close his emerald book and drop the blanket from around his shoulders.

“jisoo, dinner is served.” she announced softly, her expression brightening up slightly when jisoo grinned, clearly ecstatic to eat.

jisoo bounced up from the bed and pulled down the ruffled sleeves of his shirt, skipping to the door at the thought of having some proper food. “thank you...uhm…” 

“nayoung. my name is nayoung.” the vampire responded swiftly, flashing jisoo a smile before turning around and leading the human down the hallway. 

the castle seemed a bit different to jisoo after he had been in his room for a while; the candles were far from scarce, softening the originally frightening interior design and casting a gentle light against the dark and fearful background. the red carpet lining the cold stone floors gave some reassurance of where nayoung was leading him, its gentle colour giving him a sense of direction unlike when he entered. the paintings didn’t seem to follow his every step now, and smiled softly back at him as he slowly walked down the majestic staircase of seungcheol’s castle. when he was able to take in more of the intricate designs, like the exquisite lions sitting proudly with their golden manes on the banisters, jisoo found himself feeling more at ease than he was earlier, the tears he had once shed now a distant memory on his dry cheeks as he descended to the ground floor and followed nayoung towards the dining room.

jisoo didn’t know what to expect when the female vampire pushed open the grand double doors, for he believed he was going to receive a basic meal like soup or stew. it wasn’t like he was an alien to those types of suppers, his mother was keen on cooking simple meals with the smallest number of ingredients. jisoo didn’t originate from the richest bloodline, so foreign and expensive foods were way out of mind when it came to designing meals in his village. he would get excited when he would come home from the library and smell the fresh, heartwarming scent of warm bread, resting on the countertop where his mother had just created it with love. he never expected anything more than a simple meal - he couldn’t say no to any kind of food, especially in his financial situation.

but when nayoung pushed open the mahogany doors, jisoo’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. vegetables and meats were sprawled out over the table majestically, some familiar to jisoo and some that incredibly peaked his interest. the smell of spices and sweets enticed his senses, drawing him closer to the table like a moth to light. the lengthy table was completed stuffed with all kinds of treats that caused jisoo to inevitably salivate, his heart bulging out of his chest to inch closer to the chamber of glory. jitters sprinted around his body as he walked towards his selected seat, brushing his fingers over each individual thread in the embroidered cushions of the chairs, the crimson fabric pegged to the chair by thin strands of gold that had pierced through the velvet. nayoung rushed over to pull out the chair jisoo was to resign in, and helped him feel comfortable as hanson let a napkin fall delicately over the human’s lap. 

when they had walked away, leaving him alone as they resumed their positions by the door, jisoo felt incredibly small as the table stood proudly in front of him. the crispy chicken was steaming more the longer he stayed in his seat, and the cradle of soup seemed to form ripples with every exhale jisoo released. sitting alone at such a crowded table inevitably caused jisoo some discomfort, why would seungcheol leave out all of these items and expect jisoo to consume it all? this would be enough food to feed his whole village! the aristocratic lifestyle was never an option for jisoo to ponder over, and it didn’t sit right in his stomach for him to be sitting in the grand dining hall to have a six course meal with the head of the house. the rumours about seungcheol still felt unsettling, and there was no doubt that fear wasn’t one of jisoo’s many emotions squashed inside his overpopulated mind. what if his paranoid mother and his pretentious priest were correct? what if seungcheol did intend to kill him and release a massacre upon his hometown? what if jisoo was the vampire’s dinner? he let these questions sneak around his brain and stay present for the long few hours of staying in the vampire’s residence; yet there was a glimmer of hope, a slither of fate that danced in the vampire’s tawny eyes, that led jisoo to believe that everything was going to be just fine. 

and with each minute that passed, jisoo felt more like a baby lamb, waiting anxiously for his predator to discover him and pounce. 

a set of footsteps made its way along the corridor, and jisoo felt the tension rise heavily in the large room, so much that he could take the carving knife and slice through it like warm butter. he froze to his seat, only managing to glance his eyes to the side of his socket to see the shadow of a figure carpeting the floor beneath them. the other vampire’s seemed stern and stuck to the floor, not wanting to move in case they were caught off guard in front of the coven leader and his guest. when his figure became fully present under the burning chandelier lighting, jisoo felt his heart pounding drums in his chest. 

seungcheol was cloaked in black, from his steamed blazer to his polished shoes, all except for a neatly knotted tie and a dead red rose in his chest pocket. his hair was tousled stylishly, revealing his forehead slightly as if to tease jisoo and keep his attention on the count. a pinky red eyeshadow bordered his sockets, which radiated vicious energy at every object he spotted, causing jisoo’s breathing to stop momentarily. but his lips seemed alive and supple, a blood-like colour washing over the uncracked skin that enclosed his terrifying weapons. jisoo felt exposed as the count locked his eyes on his human figure, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of the vampire’s lips, and how they made him seem more alive yet mystical simultaneously. 

the vampire walked past the other beings in the room as if they weren’t even there, seating himself in the chair hansol had pulled out for him, and he closed his eyes as he slowly breathed. jisoo tried to keep his gaze away from the count, praying that he wouldn’t try to engage with the human through this moment they were sharing together. he kept his head bowed and tried to distract himself with prayer, thanking god for the meal in front of him and for keeping him alive for this long underneath the vampire’s roof. however, this moment of peace to try and hide himself from seungcheol only made the vampire prey on him more.

“what on earth are you doing?” he asked, taking his fork to pierce through a freshly carved piece of beef, watching as blood dripped from its muscle and stained the linen tablecloth carelessly. 

jisoo’s head shot up from prayer, resembling perfectly a fear-struck rabbit facing the eyes of a vicious hunter. “i-i was saying grace.. s-seungcheol..” jisoo managed to squeak as he avoided looking into the vampire’s muddy eyes.

seungcheol huffed as he chewed the slice of beef, feeling the blood trickle down his chin until he licked it clean. “just eat your dinner, it’ll get cold if you chant useless words any more.” he said bluntly, and jisoo couldn’t help but feel a little insult as he took a lone potato, poking through its crisp skin and breaking it like glass. 

“useless…? why would praying be useless if god listens to me…?” jisoo asked softly, proving seungcheol’s attention more - which he wasn’t too sure if it was a good or bad move on his part.

seungcheol chewed on another piece of the juicy meat, swallowing harshly before pulling at the next alice with his cutlery. “religion is a social construct put together by manipulative people to try to control and exploit the weak minds and pockets of innocent people.” he responded nonchalantly.

jisoo blinked, feeling quite insulted by seungcheol’s comment and how rude he was coming across as. “well, i believe god exists, and he’s watching over me to protect me from harm constantly.”

the vampire stayed silent afterwards, clearly not wishing to get into an argument so early into dinner, and he took a chicken leg and began to slice it off of the bone delicately. jisoo knew he should’ve kept his mouth shut, but his heart couldn’t stop him from retaliating and protecting one of the important parts of his life. possibly one of the only parts that defined his life. his entire existence had revolved around religion, praying to an immortal being who he believed was there to support him, and donating to a man who preached the same words every week. he didn’t believe religion was faked, because he could really feel god’s hand on his shoulder when he was in desperate need, but maybe seungcheol was right about exploitation - why else would the priest send him up to the castle instead of trekking up here himself? 

he bit into the potato, letting the fluffy inside of the potato melt inside his mouth against his tongue, as he bit down on the buttery, crispy skin and let out a soft hum from satisfaction. roasted potatoes were something so comforting to jisoo, and almost acted like a treasure chest - once you broke through the hard exterior, you were treated to the soft, delightful inside that felt just like clouds on your tongue. he looked up at seungcheol, who sternly stared at the banquet of food in front of them, before turning to meet jisoo’s eyes and glancing away again to take a bite of his chicken. 

“you have a good selection of books in your guest room, seungcheol.” jisoo mustered up the courage to speak, still uneasy from the last interaction as he turned away to pick out a new piece of food. 

seungcheol seemed to perk up a little when jisoo mentioned books, which was slightly odd in the human’s eyes. “did you read one of them then?” he asked immediately, “which one was it?”

“it was about a young prince being punished by his family and locked away in the tower, and an unexpected, occult creature managed to find him and rescued him miraculously. even though the prince was destined to marry the descendant from the next royal kingdom over, he only wanted to marry the creature who he had hopelessly fallen for.” jisoo described, a small smile appearing on his lips as he recalled the events of the tale he had read passionately. “a story of loving someone for what’s on the inside rather than their exterior appearance and assumptions.” 

seungcheol nodded slowly, his expression staying the same although his eyes seemed to light up a little more, despite the intensity of the candles stayed consistent the entire evening. “that was my mother’s favourite book. i’m glad you enjoyed it as much as she did.”

jisoo smiled when seungcheol lost his stiffness, but kept it hidden as he took a bite of the carved beef. “what was your mother like? it seems like we both have similar tastes.” he spoke curiously, before backtracking when he realised how personal he was getting. “i-i’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“no, it’s alright.” seungcheol quickly retaliated, placing his cutlery down to have a sip of the crimson liquid in his glass. “she was kind and caring, and never wanted a single soul to feel not welcomed or hurt. she was never keen on war or intentional harm, and she strived for peace between all of the occult communities on earth.” he spoke, the sparkle in his eyes glistening brightly as if the stars had jumped into his pupils eagerly - before quickly dying again as he became stern again. “it’s a shame that people didn’t want to treat her with the same respect and morals though.”

jisoo was left without words as seungcheol went back to eating, scoffing down the meat and wiping his wet lips with a napkin. he was left baffled at seungcheol turning so fond so suddenly, knowing the stories that his entire village would drill into his brain about the count in the castle on the hill. did he have the same guy? because even from the first visit, jisoo could already tell that seungcheol had some ball of emotions and empathy deep down inside of him; it just needed some detangling, and jisoo didn’t mind doing that job.

once they had both eating as much they physically could - jisoo sticking to more of the vegetables and seungcheol eating the entire cut of beef in a short space of time - the pair of them retired for the evening, with jisoo feeling incredibly drained from the exhausting day he had just suffered through. jisoo yawned cutely and stretched his body like a fluffy kitten, before making eye contact with seungcheol once more. the stern look that he recognised from their first encounters had worn away a little, and both of them felt a little more relaxed in each other’s presence. 

jisoo bowed at seungcheol before speaking, “thank you for the dinner, seungcheol. it was nice to talk for a little bit.”

seungcheol nodded slowly, pulling on the sleeves of his ebony shirt with a soft hum. “it’s the least i could do for such a special guest.” he responded, looking back up at jisoo and noticing the sparkle once more.

“w-what do you mean .. special?” jisoo asked softly, gulping as he feared seungcheol’s answer. the possible answers spiralled around jisoo’s mind, and it gave him a mild headache as he waited for seungcheol’s delayed response.

“i just feel a unique kind of energy from you, jisoo. you’re different, but then again, i like different.” he concluded, raising one of his feathered brows up playfully. “goodnight, jisoo. i hope you find the bed most comfortable.” 

and then, seungcheol walked down the corridors, his lips still as straight as his legs when he strided up the carpeted stairs to his quarters. jisoo was left alone once again in the maze of the castle to try and find his way back to his bedroom, but he didn’t think he could last another minute with seungcheol and his confusing vibe. everything about the vampire was perplexing - from his lack of emotion to his detailed background, from his perfect fashion to his stern speech. there was something off about it all, as if something was being restricted or even enhanced. although, jisoo couldn’t put his finger on any definitive answer. not yet, anyways. 

there was so much to discover about seungcheol, and jisoo was ready to uncover it all and find out who seungcheol really was beneath the mask. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> ☆ thank you for reading! ☆


End file.
